Dont Be Afraid My Love
by cuteasklaine0216
Summary: set five years after When I See You Smile. Jeff and Nick are married now with a family and are both happy in their respective careers. Jeff is still dealing with his dental phobia and Nick tries to support him as best he can. There are new OC's added in as well.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: welcome all to my new fic. This is a sequel story to 'When I See You Smile'. It takes place roughly five years after the first story ends/will end. I understand this is starting before I finish WISYS so bear with me. I won't confuse you too much. I had this idea 2 months ago and just had to start writing. I hope you all like it, and tell me what you think in the reviews, they make my day.**

It was Tuesday, towards the end of the work day, and Jeff couldn't concentrate on the drafts sitting on his sketch board. He had a nagging ache on his mind, and only one person who could help. Begrudgingly, Jeff packed up his binder and grabbed his coat. Feeling deflated, he called it a day and took the elevator down to the ground level of the high rise building his office was located in.

He hailed a cab, and gave the directions to his new destination in downtown Minneapolis. His hands became more and more twitchy and his leg bounced faster the closer the building became. He had no choice in the matter, and he knew he needed help. When he strode inside the quiet entrance he took a quick glance at the directory. Jeff was headed for the fifth floor, as the sign read:

_Nick Duval D.D.S_

_Emma Redford D.D.S._

_Thad Hardwood D.D.S._

He sighed nervously and stepped inside the elevator.

…

That's how Jeff found himself in his current predicament. He was sitting in the waiting room of Nick's office, wringing his hands in concern. He looked at the clock on the far wall near the fish tank. It read 3:45. He knew Nick had no patients after 4 o'clock. Now it was just a matter of waiting till he could see his husband. Jeff held his head between his hands and massaged his temples. His upper jaw was killing him and he had no idea why.

He looked up when he heard the door open and met Thad's surprised face. "Jeff? What are you doing here?"

"I'm uh… here to see Nick" Jeff stuttered.

"Oh, well he's just finishing up with paperwork from his last appointment today; you want me to go tell him you're here?" Thad offered. Jeff thought for a moment. Up until now he had been debating just getting up and leaving before Nick saw him. He just sat and stared at Thad wordlessly for a few moments. Before he could protest, Thad went back into the office and Jeff heard muffled chatter from behind the door.

He stood and began edging his way towards the front door when suddenly Nick came out into the waiting room to greet his husband.

"Hey baby, Thad told me you came to see me, what's up?" Nick smiled.

Jeff stared at Nick and mumbled something unintelligently.

"Sorry Jeff, I didn't catch that" Nick spoke concernedly.

Jeff fidgeted with the hem of his jacket. "My, um, my teeth hurt a little" he admitted. Nick smiled warmly. "Well you're certainly living up to your Gryffindor wristband today. Come on back and I'll see what's going on."

"N-no, Nick I changed my mind, I just- can't" Jeff stuttered.

Nick moved around Jeff to stand in front of the exit. "Sure you can Jeff, you've done this before, and you can do it now."

Jeff shook his head quickly and backed up a few steps. Nick approached him and took his hands in his. "I'm really proud of you for telling me the truth jeffy. If it would make it easier I can tell Emma and Thad to head home for the day."

Jeff nodded his head and averted his eyes from Nick. The two walked back together, Jeff trailing behind. Emma and Thad were having coffee in the back office when Nick and Jeff wandered in. Nick whispered quietly to Emma and the two associates gathered their things and said their goodbyes for the day.

"There, now it's just us. Can you follow me this way babe?"

Jeff felt his anxiety flare up in his chest and his stomach turn in knots. Nick strode into the exam room and turned to the drawers to find his supplies. Jeff grew anxious wondering what he was doing.

"Sit down Jeff, I want to see what's bothering you" Nick asked nicely.

Jeff nodded stiffly and sat down as Nick told him to. Nick turned on the light above Jeff's chair and rolled closer to his husband. "Jeff, I'm just going to look right now alright?"

Jeff shook his head as Nick reclined his chair.

"Yes Jeff, I need to see what's wrong babe. You came to me because you wanted my help right?" Nick pressed.

A few tears escaped Jeff's eyes as Nick spoke to him. "Yeah, I know, but I'm just afraid of what you're going to have to do."

"Well why don't we find out what's wrong before we jump to any rash conclusions ok?" Nick murmured.

Jeff wasn't convinced and despite Nick persuasions refused to cooperate. "Jeffrey Sterling, do you want to live in pain or do you want to let me help you" Nick sighed as his husband stared wide eyed up at him. Jeff's face was pale and he looked like he was ready to flee. "You don't need to be afraid of me babe, I'm not going to hurt you. I just need to see what we're looking at."

"It's not you Nick, I just feel really vulnerable and trapped" Jeff argued.

"I understand that Jeff, but honestly there's nothing for you to fear. So can you please, please trust me for five minutes?" Nick begged.

Jeff nodded sadly as he closed his eyes and opened his mouth while Nick began to look around with his mirror.

"Everything looks normal Jeff, it's not a cavity from what I can see… hang on, do you still have your wisdom teeth Jeff?" Nick asked surprised.

"Only two of them" Jeff replied with his mouth still open. "They never needed to come out."

"Well, they are causing damage now. They'll have to come out soon" Nick confirmed.

Jeff was becoming distressed now. He didn't want to be here anymore. He decided to get up and Nick didn't stop him. He just remained seated and turned towards Jeff.

"Look, I know this is hard, but I can do the surgery-"

"d-don't say that, it freaks me out" Jeff spat.

"Alright" Nick continued again "I can take care of the problem here. We have the right equipment."

Jeff huddled in on himself and began sobbing quietly. Nick came up behind him and hugged him gently. He rubbed soothing circles on Jeff's back till he calmed himself down a bit, and then Nick turned back to his computer.

"We can take care of this next Friday. That way I can take off the weekend and you don't have to work while you recover" Nick assured.

What he didn't know however, was Jeff had already gone through this situation before, and he couldn't bear to do it again. Despite this fact, Jeff nodded his head in agreement and let Nick clean up his workspace before following him out of the office.

"Did you take a cab here Jeff? I can drive us home, though I did take the bike today." He knew it wasn't Jeff's favorite mode of transportation.

"That's fine Nick, I don't mind" Jeff said in a small distracted voice. He couldn't focus on anything else for the rest of the afternoon.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Chapter two cranked out quickly! (Secretly I've had this written for a few weeks) this chapter is actually my favorite thus far. Hope you all enjoy.**

Next Friday arrived quicker than Jeff was prepared for. Nick sat in his office waiting for Jeff to arrive for his 1o'clock appointment. 1 turned into 1:30, then 2. At 2:45 Nick finally had enough of waiting and attempted to call his husband on the slight chance that he forgot. No such luck as all attempts were going straight to voicemail.

Thankfully for Nick, he had cancelled all his other appointments for the day so he could watch after Jeff. Now all he had to do was find him.

Nick grabbed his jacket and popped his head into Emma's office.

"I have to go find my number one patient; I'll be back in an hour hopefully."

"He didn't show up? Doesn't he realize you live together?" Emma tried to stifle her laughter.

"I don't think Jeff plans that far ahead. I'm going to run down and check his office first. If he's not there I'll head home" Nick continued as he put his jacket on.

Jeff really hadn't thought this through considering his office was only six short blocks from Nick's building. It only took Nick roughly five minutes to drive there.

When he arrived on the third floor nick headed straight for Jeff's office, located on the east side of the building overlooking the river. He was not met by his blond headed beauty though. Instead he entered to find Jeff's business partner Craig sitting on his desk.

"Where is he?" Nick asked tiredly.

Craig turned to nick while sipping his mug of coffee. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Where is he Craig" Nick was growing more annoyed now.

"Look I came in here looking for him too; I have designs for him to sign off on."

Nick gave Craig a knowing look. He could hear the falter in his voice.

"He paid me twenty bucks to keep my mouth shut" Craig sighed.

Nick pulled a few bills from his wallet before placing it in his back pocket. "Here's forty, now where did he go."

"He's in the maintenance closet down the hall" Craig spilled "but hey, go easy on him would you? The guy's been a nervous wreck all day."

Nick sighed and headed down the hall Craig pointed to. But he somehow couldn't find the maintenance closet. Nick questioned another employee of the building to see if they could give him some direction, and soon he learned there was no maintenance closet on the third floor. As he stomped aggressively towards Jeff's office to confront Craig the liar, Nick saw from the corner of his eye a streak of blond hair ducking out of sight. He followed the person in question around the corner they retreated. Although Nick could no longer see any blond hair, he did recognize the black plaid dress shirt he bought his husband for Christmas. And the owner was doing a great job of hiding their face behind a cabinet door.

"Jeff, enough games, it's time to be an adult." No response was heard from the person in question, so Nick stepped closer and leaned against the counter in the lounge. They were inches from each other and the only thing separating the two men was the cabinet door blocking their eye contact. Nick could see the hand gripping the cabinet door was trembling violently.

The stranger took a step back from Nick, who responded by moving closer. The cabinet door shut abruptly and Jeff made a move to flee from the room.

Nick grabbed his arm and yanked him back towards himself. "Not so fast babe, we have some business to take care of downtown."

Jeff gave him a pleading look and tried his hardest to free himself. When that didn't work, he started shaking his head vigorously as tears began to spill from his eyes. "Nick, p-please no."

Nick sighed "look Jeff, there's nothing I can do to make you feel better about this. I'm just going to have to drag you along for your own good."

Jeff dug his heels into the ground the whole way to the elevator, and all the way to the car as well.

"Jeff please" Nick pleaded "you'll be fine baby I promise, nothing bad is going to happen. You'll be asleep the whole time."

"I don't care" Jeff cried "I don't want to do this. It's going to hurt like last time."

"Jeff, you know me. You know I would never hurt you, have I ever hurt you before?"

"N-no, but I'm still scared."

"That's normal, but you still have to be brave and come with me now" Nick spoke in a firm but hushed tone. Jeff made no more moves to escape, and followed nick to the car willingly.

On the short drive back to Nick's office all was silent. The only sound to be heard was the occasional whimper coming from Jeff. When Nick parked in his reserved spot he unbuckled Jeff himself and came around the front of the car to unlock his door.

They took the elevator up to the lobby and Nick turned to Jeff when they entered his office. "Since I know I can't trust you to be by yourself in the waiting room you can come wait in my office" he told Jeff who tried to protest.

"I have to get the room set up again, so I want you to come with me. No arguments" Nick stated firmly.

Jeff followed Nick to the back and down the hall. Nicks office was shaped similar to an 'S' where the hall made a sharp right turn after the reception desk. At the end of the long hall the office had a left turn with more rooms and a beautiful view of the city at the end. Nicks office was located on the right side of the last hall, and he had full glass windows overlooking the city walk.

Nick led Jeff to his personal office and ordered him to sit at his desk and stay put until he returned. Jeff sulkily complied. As Nick exited he locked the door to ensure his husband would still be there when he returned.

Jeff heard Nick's footsteps retreating down the hall and stood from his seat to try and unlatch the window. The window did open, but sadly it was not wide enough for Jeff to shimmy through. So he sat in pain and frustration as freedom mocked him from so close.

Nick grabbed what he would need for Jeff and arranged it as it needed to be on the tray. He covered everything so he wouldn't scare Jeff when he brought him back and went to retrieve his least cooperative patient.

Jeff heard Nick unlocking the door and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat, not sure how to react to his partner. Nick entered the room and gave Jeff a comforting smile as he took his hand gently.

Jeff rose from his seat at Nick's desk and followed his husband down the hall. Every step he took weighed down on him more and more. The long sage green hall seemed to be never ending, and the calming pictures of the redwoods nick loved weren't doing their job. Jeff felt clammy, and his hands were cold and shaking.

Everything seemed to slow down for Jeff as he looked ahead at his husband. Nick was wearing a blue plaid flannel shirt and his fade washed jeans with matching toms. He had dressed casual today to comfort Jeff. If Jeff hadn't been so panicked he would have taken the time to admire Nick's toned arms peeking out from his fitted shirt.

Jeff was staring in wonder at Nick. He was having a small moment of appreciation for his husband. One of those rare moments where his brain suddenly realized 'wow, I'm married to a gorgeous man.' All his thoughts became jumbled and he couldn't concentrate on anything. All he could feel was a desire to pin Nick to a wall and kiss him passionately, as if he hadn't seen him for months.

His ears were ringing, or maybe Nick was talking to him. It was hard to tell because Jeff found all the sounds around him were muffled. Jeff knew instantly he was about to pass out, he had felt this way before, and in a way he was glad. If he was unconscious at least he wouldn't have to deal with his problems for a short time.

He saw nick turning around now, he was looking very concerned and reaching slowly towards him. He asked Jeff a question but Jeff couldn't understand what he was saying. Jeff's eyes were drooping now and he felt himself slump right and hit the wall. As Jeff slid backwards Nick caught him and slid his left arm under Jeff's neck before he could hit the floor. Before he lost consciousness Jeff felt himself being hoisted into Nick's arms bridal style. He opened his eyes and stared at Nick's face concernedly. Finally, he lost all consciousness and let his head fall back tiredly.

Nick carried him into the room they were heading for. He internally debated whether or not to lay Jeff in the chair, or if that would make matters worse when he regained consciousness. He decided to go for it since the alternative was leaving his husband lying flat on the floor.

Emma walked in as Nick finished settling Jeff. "I heard all the commotion; did he put up a big fight?"

"Hardly" Nick retorted "He passed out in the hallway." He brushed his hand over Jeff's forehead affectionately. "My brave little toaster, reduced to tears when he sits in this chair" Nick smirked.

"Toaster? You watch too many Disney movies, I swear" Emma stared curiously at Nick. "Anyway, Becca went home since Jeff was a no show so I will be assisting you today doctor Duval."

"Very well doctor Redford" Nick smirked and continued with mock professionalism. "I just have to take the patients vitals and administer his I.V. And we will be ready to start."

"Well just do the I.V. Now and get it over with!" Emma replied.

Nick stared at her blankly. "Considering the patients previous history of trauma, I think that would have a negative impact if he woke up to that, so we will wait."

Emma started prepping two syringes while Nick quickly filled out the paperwork for Jeff to place in his file.

Jeff began to stir and take in his surroundings. He was lying down now and appeared to be looking up at a beautiful clouded sky. He turned his head slightly and saw more redwoods surrounding him on either side. Then he realized he was looking at the murals Nick had painted on the walls. This was Jeff's favorite room. He must have chosen this one on purpose. To confirm his theory he brought his head forward slightly and noticed the large glass wall overlooking downtown Minneapolis. His body was more alert now. He looked around quickly, as he remembered why he was here and immediately tried to get up. Emma tried to stop him and that's when Jeff noticed what she was doing.

"NIIIIIICK!" Jeff shrieked.

Nick spun around and got down to Jeff's level to comfort him. "It's alright Jeff, just calm down. Nothing is happening yet." It helped marginally, but Jeff was still hyperventilating.

"Jeff, look into my eyes, take a slow deep breath in, and let it out slowly too" Nick coached him. He didn't want Jeff to pass out again or they would be back to square one. Jeff did as he was told and soon he was breathing normally again.

"Alright babe, here's what's happening" Nick began. "I'm going to check your vitals and put a few monitors on you to watch your oxygen levels and heartbeat while you're asleep."

Jeff looked nervous as he spoke. Nick pulled on his gloves and continued to speak.

"Next I'm going to put in your I.V., and I need you to hold very still while I do that. But first I'd like to take one more look at what we're dealing with today." As Nick spoke Jeff began to squirm uncomfortably in his seat.

"Stay still Jeff" Nick reproached. He turned on the light above Jeff's head and adjusted it. Jeff squinted when it hit his eyes. Nick picked up his tools and held them below Jeff's lower lip. "Can you open up for me babe, I just want to look" Nick coaxed.

No surprise to nick, Jeff was uncooperative. He shook his head and placed his hands over his mouth protectively. Nick sighed "Emma, can you go to the supply room and grab the NO2 canister we discussed."

Jeff's eyes grew wide as Emma left the room. "N-no wait, don't do that, I'll be good!"

"This isn't a punishment Jeff, it's meant to help you. You'll feel a lot less apprehensive this way" Nick soothed.

"And on that note, as nice as your dress shirt is, it looks tight and uncomfortable. Do you have a shirt on underneath it?" Nick inquired. Jeff shook his head.

"Well I'll need access to your arms and I don't think those sleeves will roll up that far" Nick spoke as he started rummaging through a few drawers. "Lucky for you I planned ahead, and packed an extra shirt for you." Nick pulled out a familiar white V-neck shirt and handed it to Jeff.

Jeff sat up and began to unbutton his shirt. "Y-you know, this is th-the same shirt you gave me the f-first time we met" Jeff stammered.

"I know" Nick replied proudly.

Jeff blushed but quickly returned to panic as Emma reentered the room. His hands were trembling and his fingers were fumbling aimlessly.

"Shhhhh, relax" Nick soothed. He helped Jeff unbutton the rest of his shirt.

Jeff slipped off his dress shirt and pulled on the V-neck. He didn't like how short the sleeves were. Now he had no protection, and he felt even more vulnerable. Before Jeff could protest more Nick placed a bib on him, which made Jeff panic a bit more. It carried with it a sense of permanence, and now Jeff felt trapped again.

"Alright babe, you don't want the gas so were going to try this again. If you let me do what I need to do we won't have to use it okay?" Nick questioned.

Jeff nodded slowly as Nick grabbed his tools again. This time Jeff hesitantly opened his mouth. "A little more Jeff" Nick coaxed. Jeff whined childishly, but complied. Nick looked at Jeff's two back wisdom teeth carefully then retracted his tools.

"Well, the infection is all gone and according to your X-rays the teeth are in straight. This should be a breeze Jeff."

Next, Nick took Jeff's wrist and checked his pulse. "Your pulse is a little high, but that's normal in this situation, as long as you don't pass out again."

Nick placed a small thermometer in Jeff's mouth, much to his confusion, and stuck a few wires on his arms and hands. The quick beat of Jeff's heart could now be heard throughout the room, much to Jeff's embarrassment.

"98.6, perfect, now for the fun part" Nick said sarcastically. He looked apologetically at Jeff, and put on his black rimmed glasses. "I have to put your I.V. in now babe."

Jeff watched in horror as Nick walked around to Emma's side of the chair and opened the package hooked up to a bag of saline. Nick cleaned off the crook of Jeff's elbow with alcohol, and tied a tourniquet around his upper arm. "C-c-can't we j-just forget the n-ne….needle?" Jeff asked meekly.

Nick shook his head somberly at his husband. "No Jeff, I'm sorry, but we can't. I don't want you to be awake for this. It will be much easier for you and me if you're out."

As Nick prepared the needle Jeff unconsciously slid his arm away from Nick. Nick gently pulled his arm back down the armrest and placed in in the position he needed it. As he felt the crook of Jeff's arm for a vein, Jeff pulled his arm back again.

"Jeff, keep your arm still please" Nick asked nicely, and looked up into Jeff's eyes. Jeff caught sight of the needle in Nick's hand. It looked huge to Jeff and it caused him to whimper and squirm more.

Nick sighed and looked up at Emma for her cue. She nodded, and while Jeff was distracted she gently placed a mask over his nose. Jeff's head became dizzy and he stopped squirming. Nick gently administered the I.V. and only received a small whimper from Jeff. Once the hard part was over with Jeff felt Nick take the mask off his nose. He still felt dizzy and confused, but he felt more in control.

Jeff felt Nick gently open his mouth and something cold applied to his gums. He wanted to argue, but he was too tired. Then he felt something heavy in Nick's hand and a dull sting. He started piecing together what was going on as his head became less clouded. Nick continued with the other side of Jeff's mouth. This time Jeff realized he was giving him numbing shots and mumbled unintelligently.

"You wouldn't have let me do this without persuasion Jeff" Nick rolled his eyes. "Can you still feel this?" Nick asked as he touched Jeff's back teeth.

Jeff shook his head tiredly.

"Good, then you're ready to sleep babe, I'll be here when you wake up" Nick smiled charmingly.

"Don't... Don't hurt me okay?" Jeff mumbled.

Nick laughed "I promise I won't baby" and kissed Jeff's cheek. Jeff let his eyes slide shut, and the last thing he saw was his husband smiling down at him.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: so this chapter you'll meet two new characters. Natalie is portrayed by Emma stone, and Leah is in your imagination, unless you all know what I mean when I say 'side eyeing chloe' meme. Google it, that's who I picture for Leah. Enjoy!**

Jeff's surgery went over smoothly. Nick finished the last of his stitches and gently placed some gauze in Jeff's mouth. He turned off the light and sat up straight to crack his back. Emma began collecting all the tools and disposables to sanitize their work area. Meanwhile, Nick updated Jeff's records at the computer to the side of the counter.

He could hear the steady sound of Jeff's heart beating on the monitor. Soon he would be awake and they could return home.

It was almost five o'clock, far later than Nick originally planned on being here. Thad and Emma still had a few patients left for the day, but soon they would be leaving as well.

Nick could hear Thad working with a patient down the hall. Just when Nick was wondering how long it would take Jeff to wake up, a loud shrill whir echoed down the hall, and Jeff bolted up as he gasped in shock.

Nick fell back off his stool in surprise, and stood up quickly to calm Jeff back into reality.

"Whoa, hey baby you're alright. Calm down" Nick pressed. Jeff was mumbling in a frightened tone and shaking his head drunkenly. Nick couldn't quite understand what he was saying with the gauze in his mouth; though he got the feeling Jeff didn't know his surgery was over.

"Jeff honey, you're all done! You don't have to worry anymore. You're two teeth came out just fine and they're in this little bag." Nick held up a small Ziploc for Jeff to see.

Jeff stared incredulously at the bag and then brought a hand up to touch his face curiously.

"No babe, don't touch it" Nick warned. "Let me take your gauze out so you can try and talk."

Nick pulled on some gloves and Jeff lost it. He shook his head furiously and began making fearful whines. Nick held his hands up in surrender. "Jeff look, no tools, nothing, Just cotton. I'm just changing it out."

In his drugged state there was no reasoning with Jeff. He still couldn't understand how Nick was explaining the situation.

"Jeff" Nick said in a warning tone. "Trust me, I'm not going to hurt you baby."

Jeff's attitude changed almost instantaneously. He gazed into Nick's eyes and calmly opened his mouth.

"Thank you baby" Nick sighed in relief. He removed the old gauze and applied a few new pieces. As he was leaning close to Jeff's face, Nick felt Jeff grab his neck and pull him into a deep kiss. Nick's eyes widened in surprise but he quickly reciprocated the action.

Nick pulled away too soon for Jeff's liking, which earned him a pout from his husband.

"We have to take it slow for the first few days babe" Nick laughed. He started to remove the monitors from Jeff and turn off the machines in the room. Nick's heart sank when he noticed Emma had not removed Jeff's I.V. Line before he woke up.

"Hey Jeffy, how are you feeling?" Nick attempted to distract him.

"Mmm ti'ed n'ck" Jeff slurred.

"We'll go home soon Jeff, just as soon as you wake up more" Nick started to undo the tape from Jeff's arm carefully.

"What're yuh doin-" Jeff started, but cut himself off with a hiss of pain as Nick pulled the line out of his arm. Nick gave Jeff a pained expression and apologized profusely.

"I'm sorry babe, that was the last bit of pain you have to go through. You weren't supposed to be awake for that. I'm so so sorry" Nick soothed. Jeff just had a look of disbelief and disgust plastered on his face as he watched nick apply pressure and tape a cotton ball to the site.

"Mmm Nick, I don't like it..." Jeff trailed off.

"What don't you like babe?" Nick asked thoughtfully.

"You're not playing Fall Out Boy on the speakers" Jeff slurred drunkenly.

Nick laughed quietly "well I don't think the other patients would appreciate them as much as you do."

"Well they should" Jeff argued while he reached up to play with his own hair "sing to me Nicky."

"Hmmmm let's see" Nick ran a hand through his chestnut hair.

I don't know where you're going  
But do you got room for one more troubled soul?  
I don't know where I'm going  
But I don't think I'm coming home and I said  
I'll check in tomorrow if I don't wake up dead  
This is the road to ruin  
And we're starting at the end

Say yeah  
Let's be alone together  
We could stay young forever  
Scream it from the top of your lungs, lungs, lungs  
Say yeah  
Let's be alone together  
We could stay young forever  
We'll stay young, young, young, young, young.

Jeff smiled wide "I like that one a lot."

"I know, that's why I picked it" Nick whispered as he took Jeff's hand. "Now I'd like to see if you're ready to stand."

Jeff stood up with Nick's help and latched onto him. He started fiddling with Nick bangs that were hanging in his face.

Emma walked in the room to see how Jeff was doing. "Are you guys okay in here, do you need help getting Jeff down to the car?"

"I think we're okay, thanks Emma- Jeff, stop messing with my hair." Nick struggled with his husband.

"Your hair looks sexy pushed back. Emma, tell him his hair looks sexy pushed back" Jeff grinned.

Emma snorted loudly and nick just shrugged his shoulders with a cheeky grin. "He likes mean girls, what can I say?" He turned his attention back to Jeff and spoke in a tone he reserved for the kids in his practice. "Time to walk Jeff, one foot in front of the other."

Jeff struggled with the simple command and as Nick helped lead him into a recovery room Jeff looked more like an extra in Rihanna's disturbia video.

"Come on Jeff, a few more feet" Nick coaxed.

"I can walk on my own nick" Jeff argued as he pushed his husband away. He stumbled a bit before he landed in the chair nick intended. "Can we go home now?"

"If you can answer a few questions normally I'll consider it" Nick responded. "What's your name?"

"Jeffery Duval-Sterling"

"And who am I?"

"You're Nick, my forceful and demanding husband."

"Ouch, okay, and what is your favorite icecream?"

"Mint chip... What does that have to do with anything?"

"Because I'm getting you a milkshake on the way home. And we need to get your meds from the pharmacy." Nick grabbed his duffel bag and packed a few supplies from his office and Jeff's clothes.

"Alright Emma, I'll see you in a few days" Nick waved to his partner as he scooped Jeff up bridal style.

"Nnnnnn" Jeff squirmed around. But Nick's grip was too tight. "Just let me carry you, it will be a lot faster.

Nick made it to the elevator successfully and carried his squirming husband and a fifteen pound duffel to the mustang.

"No motorcycle today?" Jeff laughed tiredly.

"Not with you like this, I planned on taking you home" Nick quipped back. "Besides, Natalie is borrowing it today. it's faster that taking the subway, and frankly a little safer."

"Who?" Jeff slurred.

"Natalie... Our niece" Nick supplied. "She has a scholarship to the university remember. She's staying with us instead of dorming? Why am I bothering you have no idea what's going on."

Nick buckled Jeff in to the passenger seat and drove away from the downtown lights. He pulled into a Walgreens pharmacy and handed the prescription through the drive thru window.

Jeff started fooling around with nicks iPod, holding it extremely close to his face as if he were in his seventies. Suddenly the car speakers were blasting with taio Cruz while Nick was trying to speak with the pharmacist. "AAH, Jeff honey turn that down please." Nick tried to speak over the noise. It was useless as Jeff was now just shuffling through all of nicks songs.

Jeff settled on Maroon 5 as Nick put the car back in drive and pulled away from the window.

_Baby, I'm preying on you tonight  
Hunt you down eat you alive  
Just like animals, animals, like animals-mals_

_Maybe you think that you can hide  
I can smell your scent from miles  
Just like animals, animals, like animals-mals  
Baby, I'm_

_So what you trying to do to me  
It's like we can't stop we're enemies  
But we get along when I'm inside you  
You're like a drug that's killing me  
I cut you out entirely  
But I get so high when I'm inside you_

_Yeah, you can start over, you can run free  
You can find other fish in the sea  
You can pretend it's meant to be  
But you can't stay away from me  
I can still hear you making that sound  
Taking me down, rolling on the ground  
You can pretend that it was me  
But no  
_

Nick had his sunglasses on now and was bobbing his head to the beat as Jeff tried his best to sing along through his swollen cheeks.

_Baby, I'm preying on you tonight  
Hunt you down eat you alive  
Just like animals, animals, like animals-mals_

_Maybe you think that you can hide  
I can smell your scent from miles  
Just like animals, animals, like animals-mals  
Baby, I'm_

_So if I run it's not enough  
You're still in my head forever stuck  
So you can do what you wanna do  
I love your lies, I'll eat 'em up  
But don't deny the animal  
That comes alive when I'm inside you_

_Yeah, you can start over you can run free  
You can find other fish in the sea  
You can pretend it's meant to be  
But you can't stay away from me  
I can still hear you making that sound  
Taking me down rolling on the ground  
You can pretend that it was me  
But no_

"OOOOH" Jeff shouted. He was very into the song as it was their car jam.__

_Baby, I'm preying on you tonight  
Hunt you down eat you alive  
Just like animals, animals, like animals-mals_

_Maybe you think that you can hide  
I can smell your scent from miles  
Just like animals, animals, like animals-mals  
Baby, I'm_

_Don't tell no lie-lie-lie-lie  
You can't deny-ny-ny-ny  
The beast inside-side-side-side  
Yeah, yeah, yeah_

_No, girl, don't lie-lie-lie-lie  
You can't deny-ny-ny-ny  
The beast inside-side-side-side  
Yeah, yeah, yeah  
_

"YOU BETTER DO IT NICK!" Jeff yelled at his husband. "Do it or I'll never forgive you!"

Nick laughed at Jeff's extremely serious expression.

_Yo-oh-oh  
Whoa-oh  
Whoa-oh-oh  
Just like animals, animals, like animals-mals  
Just like animals (yeah...), animals (yeah...), like animals-mals (yeah...)_

Nick inhaled deeply and glanced at his goofball. Then he threw his head back dramatically. _"_AAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!"_  
_

He laughed when Jeff flailed around excitedly.

_Baby, I'm preying on you tonight  
Hunt you down eat you alive  
Just like animals, animals, like animals-mals_

_Maybe you think that you can hide  
I can smell your scent from miles  
Just like animals, animals, like animals-mals  
Baby, I'm_

_Don't tell no lie-lie-lie-lie  
You can't deny-ny-ny-ny  
That beast inside-side-side-side  
Yeah, yeah, yeah_

_No, girl, don't lie-lie-lie-lie  
You can't deny-ny-ny-ny  
That beast inside-side-side-side  
Yeah, yeah, yeah _

Jeff laughed very loud and very hard for quite a few minutes. Nick knew from experience it was only a matter of time before he crashed. They sang a Luke Bryan song together before Nick pulled into the driveway of their two story prairie style home.

"Where are we?" Jeff questioned as he looked up at the beautiful stone tiled house.

"Were home baby, we live here" Nick responded as he unbuckled his seatbelt and grabbed their bags. He couldn't hide the smirk from his face.

"I don't remember this place" Jeff mumbled "are you sure?"

Nick sighed and shook his head. "You altered the plans when we had this built like five times Jeff. You better remember this house. I had it built just for you."

Jeff opened his door and clung to the frame of the car as he got out on his own.

"Nicky, I don't feel well" Jeff whispered. He looked very pale and Nick was sure he had over exerted himself. Nick scooped him up and carried him up to the door.

"Just rest now Jeff; I'll give you some pain meds when we get settled."

Nick carried Jeff through the threshold and through the living room. Their five year old, Leah, ran up to greet her dads as they walked in, followed closely by her older cousin Natalie. The redhead picked up the little blonde and lifted her up to their eye level.

"Look whose home Leah, its dad and daddy" Natalie whispered happily in her ear. Leah beamed at her parents and reached out to Nick whose arms were still full. Natalie followed them into the bedroom while Nick put Jeff down on the bed.

"Dad is tired daddy?" Leah squeaked out.

"That's right baby girl, dad had a long long day, and so we have to let him sleep a bit" Nick spoke softly to his daughter as he reached down and picked her up. "What did you do at school today?"

"Ms. Tiffany made us practice our song for the music show" Leah recounted in a bored voice.

"Really? Well I can't wait to hear it sweetheart. Did you have fun at Zoey's house after school?" Nick carried Leah out to the living room.

"Yes, we played tea party and her mommy made little cookies for Mr. Tuffins and fluff bunny" Leah said in her cute tiny voice.

Nick laughed "And did Mr. Tuffins like the cookies?"

"Oh yes" Natalie responded "and so did Leah. She probably had about four. She's been waiting for you two to come home for a while."

Nick nodded knowingly "did you lock up the bike?" Natalie nodded her head. "Yes, and I finished the dishes Uncle Nick."

"Thank you darling. How about we order take out, what would you like?"

"Pizza!" Leah shouted. Nick and Natalie laughed.

"Pizza is a great idea Leah; do you want pineapple and sardines?" Nick teased.

"Haha noooooo."

"What about onions and m&amp;ms?" he pondered.

"Eeeeewwww no daddy" she giggled.

"Pepperoni?"

"Yes, that sounds great" Natalie added.

Nick dialed the number and fetched Jeff his pain meds and a glass of water while he was on the phone. He finished the order, hung up and walked into the master bedroom. "Jeff, wake up for a second honey. You need this pill or you will wake up hating your life in a few hours."

Jeff groaned lazily and rolled over towards Nick. "My face hurts Nick."

"Take this and drink some water. Are you hungry? Do you want some Greek yogurt with honey?" Nick offered.

Jeff nodded in agreement. "That actually sounds really good Nick" he grinned sheepishly, well, as best he could.

"I think I'll grab you a few ice packs too. Your cheeks are looking more like chipmunks" Nick giggled. Jeff groaned and threw his head back against the pillow.

Nick left for a few minutes and returned with a bowl and some bags of ice wrapped in cloth. "Is the Vicodin working baby?" Jeff nodded his head in affirmation, and took the bowl from Nick. He felt cool relief on his cheekbones as Nick pressed the ice to his face. Leah walked in to visit for a bit while they waited for dinner to arrive.

"Dad your face looks puffy" she stated. "What happened? Did you eat a peanut? That's how jimmy Morgan's face got puffy last week."

Jeff couldn't help but laugh at that. "No pumpkin, dad isn't allergic to peanuts like jimmy. Dad had some teeth pulled out today."

Leah looked confused when she heard that. "Why did you want that?"

Jeff laughed "I didn't want it honey, but sometimes you have to do things you don't like to do to feel better."

Leah stuck her tongue out at that comment "that doesn't make any sense dad"

The doorbell rang and Nick got up to pay the delivery guy, leaving Jeff and Leah alone.

"Can I see where your teeth were dad?" Leah asked nicely.

"How about instead, you ask daddy to see the teeth, I think he kept them." Jeff replied honestly.

"Why would he have them dad?" she sounded doubtful.

"Well, you see, daddy is the one who took my teeth out. He's a dentist, remember? He counted your teeth last time you visited his office."

Leah's eyes widened at that. "Is daddy going to pull my teeth out too?"

"No no no baby, your teeth are fine, they will stay right where they belong forever" Jeff reassured. Nick returned after hearing part of the conversation.

"Well, honey, you might have some loose teeth soon, but that means you're getting older, and they you'll get your big girl teeth. Do you know what happens when a tooth falls out?"

Leah nodded her head "Zoey lost a tooth and she said the tooth fairy left her a dollar."

"Yeah, isn't that cool? Aren't you excited to lose your first tooth" Nick asked sweetly.

Leah shook her head "not really."

"Well, you'll see, it's really cool" Nick shrugged. "Why don't we eat dinner and get ready for bed sweetheart." Nick sent Leah off to the kitchen and turned to Jeff.

'What the hell did you say to her?' Nick mouthed to his husband.

"I didn't do anything, she asked me questions and I answered them" Jeff whispered intensely.

"Yes well now she's going to have doubts when she reaches that milestone." Nick replied fiercely.

"I'm sorry! I'll fix it later." Jeff held his hands up in defense.

"You better, or were going to have another dental-phobe in this house" Nick kissed him on the cheek. "I'm going to help Leah get ready for bed. Are you okay for now?"

"I'm fine babe. Can I eat though?"

"Yes, just be careful and try to avoid the extraction sites. No using straws and do not brush your teeth for a few days. I know that sounds counter intuitive but trust me, you can easily mess up your stitches that way" Nick gave Jeff the quick list and left the room.

Natalie served up some dinner for her little cousin and uncle, and placed the rest of the dishes in the sink. She was always very helpful, mainly because she felt that she owed her uncles for letting her stay with them to save money. Natalie's mother was Nick's older sister, and he would never turn down family.

"Thanks again for letting me borrow the bike Uncle Nick. The guys in my class think I'm cooler now" she smirked.

"That's how I felt when I was your age" Nick smiled. "In fact, I took Jeff on a few dates on that bike. He was scared out of his mind."

"Well, Uncle Jeff is scared of a lot of things."

"This is true, alright kiddo, I'll see you in the morning. I've got to give Leah a bath and put her to bed. Are you going out tonight?" Nick inquired as he stood from his spot on the couch.

"No, tonight is a stay in kind of night, I need to study more and party less" Natalie's large blue doe eyes glittered with amusement. She undid her high ponytail and let her wavy red hair fall around her slightly rounded face.

"Good girl. Save that bright smile for the right guy" Nick commented and left the living room.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: sorry I don't update as frequently or reliably as I should. I've just been swamped with orders this last week or two on my shop page and it's hard to keep up. If you guys want to know what the heck I'm talking about go head over to CraftySoCal on Etsy and see whats up! Reviews are always appreciated and adored. Thank you.**

Jeff woke in the morning with a groan. His cheeks were sore and puffy as he knew they would be. This wasn't the first time Jeff had gone through this surgery, but he had to admit, this time it wasn't as bad as he expected.

He hear a rustling at the foot of his bed and propped himself up on his elbow to look down to his feet. Leah was there in her pink footed pajamas poking her head over the edge of the bed. When she saw her father was awake she proceeded to clamor up onto the bed and crawl onto Jeff's chest. Leah laid flat on her stomach and gently placed her little hands on Jeff's cheeks. This was not unusual. Leah did this whenever she wasn't feeling well or wanted to cuddle.

"Hey little girl" Jeff spoke hoarsely "where's your daddy?"

"He's making us pancakes" Leah shrugged. "Are you okay daddy? You look like scribbles."

Jeff shook his head and rolled his eyes. He wasn't exactly happy about being compared to a hamster. "I'm fine baby, just a little puffy."

Leah scrutinized his face as if she was trying to see if he was lying to her. "Daddy said you would be feeling bad if I came in here."

Well crap, Nick told Jeff not to say anything negative to their daughter but here he was setting him up to fail.

"I'm okay honey, I feel fine." Jeff lied.

Leah got really close to Jeff's ears and began whispering. "Okay dad, wanna hear a secret?"

Jeff nodded his head earnestly.

"You promise you won't tell daddy? Swear it?" she whispered.

"Why can't we tell daddy this secret" Jeff inquired.

"Okay, daddy doesn't know yet, but one of my teeth is loose and it's a really big secret okay?" Leah whispered quickly.

"Oh honey, daddy will be excited to hear that, you should be too" Jeff cooed.

"No! Don't tell him, he'll pull it out like your teeth" she panicked as she jumped off the bed and ran down the hall. Nick walked into the room with a yogurt cup and nearly missed running into his daughter as she zipped away.

"Whoa, where's the fire?" Nick laughed. He handed Jeff the yogurt and another pain pill for the day.

"You need to talk to your daughter" Jeff looked deeply into Nick's eyes. "She's developed one of my personal traits."

The smile fell a little from Nick's face. He looked confused. Jeff decided to elaborate. "I made a super, secret promise to not tell you anything, but it has to do with my current situation and your daughter's perception."

Nick nodded his head; he seemed to understand a little of what Jeff was saying and went out to the living room to talk with Leah. A few minutes passed and Jeff heard a tiny squeal and small foot falls running through the house.

"Leah Annette Duval, come here right now young lady!" Jeff could hear Nick yell from downstairs. "Daddy only wants to look at it, please baby girl."

The thumps grew louder and suddenly Leah ran into the bedroom and shimmied her way under the bed. Nick strolled in casually and turned to his husband. "As you can see, that didn't go over very well. Would you mind helping me, please?"

"Leah, come out please and sit on my lap. We want to talk to you." Jeff coaxed.

Leah poked her head out and crawled up onto Jeff's legs again. Nick sat down on the bed in front of the two of them and ran his hand through Leah's blond curls.

"Now Leah, I'd like to see your loose tooth honey-"

"No!" Leah wriggled around in Jeff's lap.

"It's alright Baby, we won't touch it. Can you just wiggle it for me? Aren't you excited to be a big girl?" Nick coaxed.

Leah shook her head "you're gonna pull it out!" she whined.

"No Leah, I won't do that right now, and even if we do I promise it won't hurt at all." Nick soothed.

She looked doubtful "pinky promise?"

Nick extended his hand and took her pinky in his. That seemed to relax her a bit. Leah showed Nick how her front tooth wiggled back and forth.

"Wow!" Nick commented thoughtfully "that's so cool Leah, thank you for showing me. I'll bet the tooth fairy would leave a dollar for your first tooth."

Leah looked intrigued. "Really?"

Jeff caught on quick. "oh yeah, this is a very special occasion, so she would have to."

"But she leaves a dollar for Zoey every time." Leah countered.

"Well, I'm sure daddy could write her a note and make a deal. He's friends with her you know." Jeff giggled.

"Yep, that's my job baby girl" Nick confirmed.

Leah looked back over to Nick on the edge of the bed. "If you pull it out are you sure it's not going to hurt daddy?" she asked cautiously.

"It might pinch a little, but it wouldn't be bad at all sweetheart" Nick smiled.

"Okay, I guess we can do it then" Leah mumbled.

Nick kissed her on the forehead and left the room, while Jeff held Leah on his lap just in case. Nick came back with a few squares of gauze in his hand and a tissue. Jeff tightened his hold on their daughter who was pressing herself against him. Nick saw the conflict in Leah's eyes and his expression softened from eagerness to compassion.

"Don't worry baby girl, this is my job. I'll be really fast and you won't even know it's done."

Jeff could feel his daughters little heart beating like a hummingbird, but she was not as reluctant or stubborn as him and willingly cooperated with Nick. He got a hold on her front tooth and spoke quietly to her.

"Alright on three ready?"

Leah gave a fearful whine but nodded her head.

"One…..two…" a click was heard as Leah front tooth popped out of place. Her eyes widened in shock as her father held it in his hand to show her.

"See? That was so easy" Nick smiled as he put a piece of gauze in the now missing space.

Leah smiled too as Jeff tickled her tummy.

"You were so brave little munchkin" He teased. "Are you going to tell daddy next time this happens?"

"Yeth" Leah lisped. If anything she was now twice as cute.


End file.
